Immortal Ops: New & Lengthened 2016 Anniversary Edition (14 page)

He can read my thoughts

“Yes, and you will be able to read mine in time. I’m sure of it,” he whispered tenderly in her ear.
 

“What?”

“It will come with some time, Peren.”

She tried desperately to see inside his mind. Nothing but an overwhelming feeling of security came to her. He would never harm her or allow anyone else to either. Reluctantly, she drew back from him. She grabbed his hand, held it tight in hers
,
and turned to the gate that was now opening. The stupid thing had a mind of its own.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Lukian wasn’t sure what he’d expected the Matthews house to be, but it certainly wasn’t this. The place was massive, nearly as large as his home in Maine
,
but not well-kept by any means. It was the mansion time had forgotten. Only the west wing was in order. The other wings had been left to their own devices.
 

He stared around and shook his head.

Peren took notice of him and sighed. “I don’t remember a time it wasn’t this way. There are a few people who come and tend the grounds and the wing where we live. They tell me that at one time the entire home was something out of a storybook. My father doesn’t discuss it much.”

“Peren, does he need money?” asked Lukian. “I have plenty. What is mine is yours.”

She smiled at him sweetly. “That is sweet of you to offer, but we’re fine. More than fine. I’ve sat in on meetings with my father’s financial advisers. He isn’t hurting for cash. He just, well, I don’t know. He seems safe here but unable to let the past go. Weird, huh?”

Lukian glanced around. Yes, it was certainly strange. Lukian himself had grown up in the lap of luxury. His mother had been the only child of a wealthy family and was orphaned before she was old enough to wed. Her uncle had custody of her but was anything but civil to her. Once Lukian’s father, who was rich beyond words, had appeared, the uncle had begun physically abusing her. The wolf in his father was too hard to control and the man in him would not stand by and watch the woman he loved be abused. Lukian had never been officially told how his mother’s uncle had died, but he had his suspicions.
 

No, money had never been an issue to Lukian. He gave sizable amounts to charity each year and kept his nose clean. He lived a modest life for a man of his position and wealth, and that was perfectly fine by him. Or, at least, it had been fine with him until he stepped foot inside Peren’s family home.
 

Lukian wouldn’t allow the home to remain in this state any longer than it had to. He’d speak with Dr. Matthews, and he’d handle the repairs, even if he had to do them himself. Roi would have a field day when he found out Lukian was planning on actually spending some of his fortune. He’d been after him for years to do so. Though his friend would be disappointed it didn’t involve hot triplets.
 

As they entered the kitchen, Peren began moving about once more, as if looking for her father. She’d been doing much the same thing since she’d led him into her home. He knew her father wasn’t there, and so did she, yet she insisted on checking every room in the west wing. He needed to check in with his team, but now wasn’t the time to step out and make a call. Instead, Lukian did something he and his men were capable of doing but tried to avoid because of the drain it often took on them.

He reached out with his mind, down the mental path the I-Ops used
,
and connected almost instantly.
I have her. She’s safe.

Good
, returned Roi.
The other two are pissed. Missy has threatened to geld me if Peren doesn’t show back up soon, totally unharmed.

Lukian hid his smile.
I’m starting to like Missy more and more. She keeps you in line nicely.

If you mean wants to put my balls in a fucking jar and then slit my throat, sure, she’s great.

Lukian snorted and hid his laugh under a cough.
Whatever it takes to keep you on a leash.

Where are you now?

Lukian glanced around.
Somewhere the Addams Family would be happy to call home. Also called Peren’s home.

That bad?

Words wouldn’t do it justice. Dr. Matthews isn’t here. Have Green reach out to his contacts and see if anyone has spoken to him.

Will do, Captain. Be safe.

You too.
 

“I don’t understand,” Peren said, appearing confused and breaking Lukian’s mental connection to Roi. “I thought my dad would be here. We meet every Saturday morning for breakfast. He’s been insistent on it since I was a child. My stepmother tried to get him to change the day, but he wouldn’t hear of it. Saturday mornings were our thing. They’ve always been our thing.”

“Stepmother?” Lukian had lost touch with Dr. Matthews shortly before Peren’s birth. He didn’t know he’d remarried.
 

Peren stared past him at nothing in particular. “I never actually knew my real mother. My father talks about me being a blessing, a miracle, but I think I’m a curse. I guess there were years of infertility and then finally, I came along. But she died during childbirth. I live with that knowledge everyday.” She closed her eyes a moment. “My father remarried five years later. Susan was a wonderful mother.” He could sense the dread and feeling of mourning pass over her. “She died when I was ten. She was murdered.”
 

He fought the urge to say that he knew of the murder, that he’d picked up on her memories of it in the woods outside of the bar. She didn’t need the added stress of knowing he’d been privy to vital details of her life prior to her actually sharing them with him. Besides, the information that her biological mother passed away during her birth was news to him, so he wasn’t lying. He went to put his arm around her, but she continued talking. He wanted to cover her full lips with kisses and had to control himself to allow her to express her thoughts.
 

“Yes, Father is always on time. I generally come out here to the main house to meet him. My apartment is too small to entertain in and he loves to put on a show, even if it’s just the two of us.”
 

Her apartment?
 

He looked around the large kitchen and felt it then. Dread, death, despair, rage
,
and most of all, hate. These feelings had to be emanating from somewhere and from someone. He knew it wasn’t Peren—she was too worried about her father’s sudden disappearance to be projecting anything but concern. The feelings hit him stronger and he searched for the direction they were coming from—east.
 

“Peren, honey, what’s in the other sections of the house? Are you sure no one lives there?”
 

Her look of bewilderment told him that no, she didn’t know that someone was there. Maybe he was just picking up on old scents and memories imprinted on the home, but something felt off.

She took hold of his hand. “There is no one here. My dad doesn’t leave the main wing when he’s home. And we have limited house helpers. None of them go in the other areas. I think they’re scared of the older sections. Come on. I’ll show you around to set your mind at ease.”

Chapter Thirty

Peren followed behind Lukian as he wandered through her childhood home. He led, and she followed. It was odd at first, but he seemed like a man on a mission, so she went with it. She trailed close behind him. His musky scent blew back at her lightly as he opened the door to the east wing and she felt her knees weaken.
 

Why am I so drawn to you?
 

“Because you are my mate, my one true partner. You are mine forever, Peren,” he said, looking over his shoulder at her, his blue gaze smoldering with desire.

Forever.

She let the thought of that float around. She’d believed that what she had with Kyle was special, she’d assumed that he was the one—her forever. Walking behind Lukian and looking at the way his sweat-soaked shirt clung to every ripple, wanting to tear his clothes off and let him use her any way he wanted, she knew that she’d never had this with Kyle. She touched Lukian’s back lightly. He turned to her and smiled. Sex with him had been earth-shattering, but she couldn’t rely on just sex the rest of her life. She needed more and believed that he would too, someday. She’d only just met the man. Forever seemed so strange to even consider with him, yet that was exactly what she wanted.

Forever.

Lukian faced her and pulled her close. “Never doubt how I feel about you again, never. Do you understand you are my mate, the only one I have ever taken? The only one I’ve ever given my seed to. The only woman I’ve ever claimed and the only one I even can claim. It is for life, Peren.”
 

“You talk about us like we’re animals,” she said, half joking. Mate? Lukian had referred to her as this on more than one occasion. That wasn’t a standard pet name to call your significant other.
 

She remembered the wolves in the woods and Lukian’s lack of surprise at them. Nothing had shaken him. There were times he seemed so alpha, so incredibly in control
,
that he felt almost animalistic to her. Why was that? Was he like what had attacked her in the woods and also when she was ten? Was he more than simply a man? And then there was Melanie and what she said happened during sex with Lance—that he’d changed partially into an animal.
 

“Lance…can he…
do
anything special?” She was having a hard time coming out and saying “change into a beast
.
”

Lukian tightened his grip on her arm. He bent his head, trying to kiss her, but she pulled away. She needed answers, not distractions. He apparently thought differently. He twisted her around and pushed her firmly against the wall before she had time to soak in what was going on. His hand went up her shirt. She gasped as he brushed over her hardened nipples.
 

The hard edge of his jawline held her attention. She reached out and traced the edges of his chiseled frame. His neck muscles tightened as she leaned up to plant tiny kisses on him. He pushed her hands back against the wall, effectively rendering her useless. She wanted more from him and growled in frustration, making him laugh.

“Lukian.”

“I need to check something and then I’m going to do everything you want and more,” he said, moving to take a step back from her. “And we can have a nice long talk then. I promise.”

The strongest urge to bite him again came over her with such force that she was powerless to do anything but obey. She sank her teeth down into his shoulder blade. The bite was hard enough to get his attention, but not hard enough to draw blood. Stunned at her actions, Peren dragged her mouth off him and gasped. “Ohmygod. I’m so sorry.”

She couldn’t believe she’d attacked him that way—again. Lukian looked stunned but not disgusted at her behavior. The growing bulge in his pants told her exactly what he thought of her theatrics. He was turned on.

Why didn’t he see her as a freak?

She saw herself as one.

He adjusted his cock through the front of his pants, groaning, his gaze going to her chest. “I want to fuck you, but now isn’t the time.”

“Do it. Fuck me,” she said, shocking herself with her frankness. The scent of his sweat, the closeness of his body, was proving to be more than she could handle. She moved to run her fingers into the top of his pants and he grabbed her wrists gently. She pulled her hands back toward herself, bringing his with hers. If he didn’t want her touching him
,
that was fine, she’d think of something else.
 

She drew his hands toward her waistband and eased it down gently. He began to pull away and then gave in to his need to touch her. His thick fingers darted quickly between her thighs and found her moist and ready for him. In a sudden fury, he was pushing against her, pinning her body to the wall. He continued his sensual assault on her silken channel, causing tiny moans to escape her throat. Each thrust left her juices soaking the both of them, running down his hand and her inner thighs.

Lukian lifted her off the ground, keeping her pinned firmly to the wall, as he continued fingering her. She had no idea how he’d managed to get his pants down and didn’t care once she felt the head of his cock pushing into her. The world around her faded away, leaving only her and Lukian. He rammed himself into her with such force that a picture fell off the wall and onto the floor. A low purring noise erupted from deep within her.
 

Lukian’s thrusts came faster and harder. Her body struggled with something great, wild, overpowering. She tried to keep it deep within her, but her abdomen tightened and her body clenched tight around his rigid cock as he brought her to her peak. The orgasm unleashed the animal within her and she felt detached from herself as she bit down hard on Lukian’s shoulder. Coppery, sweet
-
tasting fluid ran into her mouth. Lukian let out a growl that matched hers. She was faintly aware of a deep pressure above her right breast and of the added girth between her legs. None of that mattered. All that mattered was the pleasure washing over her. He made her feel alive. And he made her feel safe.

Chapter Thirty-One

Lukian held his mate’s hand as they walked down another of the darkened halls of her childhood home. He’d planned to take her back to the safe house and discuss everything in detail with his men, but he’d gotten lost in lust and had taken Peren again. He’d never get enough of her. He knew that.

Right now he couldn’t shake the sensation that they weren’t alone in the giant, neglected home. The wolf in him wouldn’t let him simply leave without searching the entire estate. He had to be sure. His inner alarms sounded as he caught the scent of another shifter. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. This was not a member of his team. He’d spent decades with these men, and he knew their scents well.

Peren stopped moving behind him. He wasn’t sure if she realized it or not, but she was sensing the intruder too. If Green’s findings were correct, then Peren would be more adept at tracking things than he was, once she acknowledged her powers.